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VIA EPIA-P910 stuffs 3D display support, quad-core into a Pico-ITX size
If there's been a race in the Pico-ITX realm to catch up to full-size PCs, VIA just leapt ahead by a few bounds with the EPIA-P910. The tiny PC mates one of VIA's 1GHz QuadCore E-Series processors with a VX11H media core to handle the kinds of tasks that would break just about any other system its size: stereoscopic 3D displays and DirectX 11 3D graphics are entirely within the realm of possibility. Likewise, there's a surprising amount of expansion headroom compared to many of the P910's similarly small counterparts, such as the 8GB RAM ceiling and support for both HDMI 1.4a and USB 3.0. You'll need to get in touch with VIA if you want to find out how much it costs to work the new EPIA into an embedded PC, and it's more likely to be headed to corporate buyers than to homebrew projects. We're still looking forward to the shot of visual adrenaline, whether it's in a mini PC or a store display.
VIA makes its first ARM-based Pico-ITX board, adds dual graphics for your in-car pleasure
VIA has only ever really had a dalliance with ARM; the VAB-800 might be a sign that it's willing to go steady for awhile. As the company's first Pico-ITX board with an ARM chip, the 800 stuffs up to a 1GHz, Freescale-made ARM Cortex-A8 and 1GB of RAM into a tiny, 3.9 x 2.8-inch board. Somehow, it still fits up to four USB 2.0 ports, mini HDMI, VGA and as much as 64GB of storage. The board's real tricks are its dual integrated graphics processors: the VAB-800 can independently steer two displays, just in case your in-car infotainment system can't be contained by merely one screen. You'll likely have to be a car designer or an industrial device maker to make an order, although the 5W power draw and support for Android, Ubuntu Linux and Windows Embedded Compact 7 should soon see the VAB-800 crammed into logic-defying spaces everywhere.
VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car
VIA is planning to get some serious mileage out of its Eden X2 processor -- in the most literal sense possible. It's now producing the AMOS-3002, a Pico-ITX-sized PC intended for in-car infotainment and other situations where an embedded PC needs to have a little more juice for media tasks. The Eden X2 in question comes in a dual-core 1GHz flavor that's completely fanless, but it's fast enough to show 1080p video (when your car is parked, we hope) and can handle more intensive work like dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, optional 3G and even a 2.5-inch hard drive. That breadbox-sized shell can also take a lot of abuse, surviving temperatures between -4F and 140F as well as 50 Gs' worth of shock. You'll have to wait until your favorite car designer or digital sign maker uses the AMOS-3002 to see it in action, but until then, you can get the full details after the break.
CompuLab Fit-PC3 comes in many flavors of AMD, starting at $328
The march of the mini PCs continues, this time with a pumped-up little number from CompuLab. We've already reported on the Fit-PC3, which forgoes the Atom and Tegra 2 of previous models in favor of AMD's APUs, but it's only now that full pricing has been divulged. You're looking at $328 for the cheapest barebones nettop, which includes the fan-less case, motherboard and a 1GHz single-core processor with integrated Radeon HD 6290 graphics. Sure, some rivals might be cheaper, but the Fit-PC3 has above-average connectivity, including USB 3.0 and eSATA ports, HDMI, DisplayPort and digital audio out, as well as gigabit Ethernet and mini-serial. If you want a more powerful APU, or if you're too busy to go rummaging for your screwdriver, then there are plenty of dual-core and pre-built options up to $700 at the source link. Be advised though, only the pilot batch is currently available and end-users are being advised to wait a little longer.
VIA's ARTiGO 1150: a $265 barebones nettop with big potential (video)
That VE-900 mini-ITX kit still too big for you, eh? Then check out VIA's latest pico-ITX alternative: the ARTiGO 1150 DIY nettop. It improves on last year's 1100 model with a dual-core Eden X2 processor clocked at 1GHz and a VX900H media system processor for accelerated decoding of video up to 1080p. The palm-sized chassis houses the usual HDMI and VGA outputs, gigabit Ethernet and four USB 2.0 host ports, while also leaving just enough room for you to install up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, one 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, plus optional WiFi and SD card reader modules. We've found the 1150 selling for $265, which strikes us as appropriately diminutive, but there's a promo video and press release after the break to help you weigh it up for yourself.
AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs
AMD has just rolled out two new additions to its line of Embedded G-Series APUs, combining Fusion-based processing with reduced power consumption. Both the T40E and T40R rock the same 64-bit x86 Bobcat CPU cores and DirectX 11-capable GPUs we've already seen in previous G-Series incarnations, but AMD says the pair can operate using thirty-nine percent less power than its cousins. The single core T40R boasts a thermal design power (TDP) rating of just 5.5 watts, while the dual core T40E offers a TDP of 6.4 watts. The two applications are designed for compact fanless systems, including kiosks and mobile industrial devices, though Axiomtek is apparently planning on incorporating the new APUs in a new Pico-ITX consumer PC, as well. Full PR after the break.
Wooden Level Eleven PC gets inspiration from Thermaltake Level 10 chassis
Let's face it -- if you had a never-ending stack of cash and a computer room with no particular size constraints, you too would own a Thermaltake Level 10 enclosure. Regrettably, both financial and square footage constraints do indeed play major roles in most of our lives, including one Jeffrey Stephenson. This fine gentleman is quickly becoming the Ben Heck of wood-grained mods, this time cranking out a lovingly crafted iteration of the aforesaid chassis, but with that special wooden flair. The Level Eleven gets its inspiration from the gargantuan Level 10, but rather than taking things even bigger, Jeff decided to scale things down a notch; in fact, he constructed a fully functional PC within the handmade enclosure, all based around a VIA Pico-ITX mainboard and a 1.2GHz VIA Nano CPU. Thanks to the onboard VX855 media processor, this (comparatively) diminutive machine boasts an HDMI output and enough horsepower to pump out 1080p sans lag -- but it doesn't seem as if this bad boy is officially for sale. Not that he'd reject a five-figure offer or anything...
VIA's Mobile-ITX platform is half as big as Pico-ITX, still full of heart
VIA's Pico-ITX platform took things to an entirely new level a few years back, and now the company is introducing an even smaller variant for even more minuscule applications. The Mobile-ITX specification measures in at just 6cm x 6cm, or right around 50 percent as large as the aforementioned Pico-ITX form factor. Aimed specifically at next-generation embedded devices that are barely visible to the naked eye, Mobile-ITX employs a modularized design that includes a CPU module card and an I/O carrier board. We're told that CPU modules based on the Mobile-ITX form factor integrate "core CPU, chipset and memory functionality and I/O that includes the CRT, DVP and TTL display support, HD Audio, IDE, USB 2.0, as well as PCI Express, SMBus, GPIO, LPC, SDIO and PS2 signals," and the 5-watt power usage means that these are well suited for always-on systems. Look for the first commercial Mobile-ITX-based CPU module to ship in Q1 2010.
Video: VIA EPIA-P720 Pico-ITX motherboard plays 1080p, doesn't sweat much
While NVIDIA's Ion has been getting all of the attention of late, VIA's been doing this 1080p thing for quite some time. We actually heard earlier this year that the company's EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe board was capable of playing back glorious 1080p video clips, but now we've got video proof that the unit's successor truly can. According to VIA, this mobo is the first from it to come with the VX855 Media System Processor onboard, which is obviously the secret sauce involved in delivering the high-res graphics. Head on past the break for a peek at the demo, and good luck resisting the urge to build a new SFF HTPC over the weekend.
VIA's P710-HD module brings 1080p to EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe board
We've got to hand it to 'em -- VIA sure knows where the weak spot is in the netbook / nettop market, and it's doing an impressive job bringing 1080p to areas where it was once thought impossible. After trumpeting its Surfboard concept and VX855 chipset, the company is striking yet again from the Embedded Systems Conference with its P710-HD module. Said device, which works in conjunction with the EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe board, brings full HD playback support to a mainboard that's almost small enough to fit in your oversized cargo pocket. The expansion module includes S3 Graphics' 4300E embedded GPU, 256MB of GDDR2 memory and support for dual DVI and HDMI outputs. Sadly, there's no mention of a price or release date, but we'd bet NVIDIA, Intel and the rest of the gang are definitely paying attention.[Via HotHardware]
Researchers develop flying WiFi robots for disaster relief
Researchers at Germany's Ilmenau University of Technology are developing flying quadcopter robots that can be used to form a self-assembling ad-hoc wireless network in the event of disaster. Built with off-the-shelf parts (including VIA's Pico-ITX hardware and a GPS unit) the robots are designed to provide both mobile phone and WiFi access -- and they can do it far more quickly than a technician on the ground might be able to. The device comes in a kit for €300 (about $380), which includes all but the battery -- the batteries currently run around €1,000 (over $1200) and only offer up 20 minutes of flight time. Once the device has found a perch, however, it can operate for "several hours." If you'd like to see some more of this guy, be sure to head on over to FutureParc hall at CeBIT. Either that, or check out the additional picture after the break.[Thanks, David]
A tale of two Pico-ITX mods
As William Gibson once wrote, "the street finds its own uses for things." Of course, the future he envisioned was populated by cut-throat characters with names like Dex Cowb0t, mercenary-types who made their money the only way they knew how: with custom cyberspace decks, hopped up on designer drugs like "splurge" and "spazz." What he never understood was that the only true measure of a technology is its ability to aid a bored populace in its pursuit of nostalgia and novelty. And by these standards, the Pico-ITX board might be one of the most important technological breakthroughs of its time (roughly 2007-2010 CE). Where would the hackers and case modders of our humble era be if it weren't for this guy? They wouldn't be shoving PCs into old Game Boy cases, that's for sure. Case in point: the Linksys Bt320g seedbox project places VIA's EPIA PX10000G mobo and a 320GB HDD in an old Linksys shell (and a 400GB HDD in a second router). The man responsible doesn't say whether or not this one was intended to thwart they copyright police in the event of a search and seizure, but on the other hand we're assuming that he isn't going to be seeding OpenOffice on the thing either. If retro computing's your bag, we've found a Timex Sinclair ZX81 case mod that should bring you considerable joy. Unfortunately the membrane keyboard's been disabled, but if you don't mind using a USB keyboard with a machine that originally sported 1KB RAM (at a whopping 3.25MHz), you might want to hit the read link and see how it's done. Read - Linksys BT320G case modRead - Sinclair ZX81 turned into PC
VIA shows off EPIA Pico-ITX-based robots
VIA may be ditching its traditional motherboard business, but it looks like its not wasting any time in stepping up its efforts to get its more specialized boards and chipsets into as many devices as possible, and it's now taken advantage of the Taipei International Robot Show to show off their potential for robotics. Leading the way is Lynxmotion's Johnny 5 robot above (yes, that's actually its name), which has been outfitted with VIA's new EPIA P700 board and VX800 unified chipset just for the show. That, VIA says, offers a whole host of advantages over other systems, including "far easier" software development. Of course, VIA also sees plenty of potential beyond hobby kits, with it also showing off an EPIA Mini-ITX-based version of the Vecna Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (or BEAR), and it touting the benefits of its Pico-ITX platform for all sorts of "extremely space constrained robotics designs."[Via Far East Gizmos]
VIA's PX5000EG Pico-ITX motherboard is no match for a hair dryer
It's been far too long since we've seen a gizmo from any walk of life get torture tested, but the wait for another is over at long last. As part of the Naked Pico Challenge, the crazy cats over at TechnoVoyance set out to see just how long the VIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board could operate without any cooling whatsoever. After it hummed along for a fortnight without even a hiccup, the line had been drawn, and it was finally time to see precisely what could shut this thing down. We hate to spoil things, but suffice it to say, even this athlete-of-a-motherboard couldn't withstand the pressure of an 1,800-watt hair dryer for more than a minute or two. Head on past the break to see the softcore abuse on video.
VIA's new EPIA PX5000EG 500MHz Pico-ITX board loses the fan
Despite the shortcomings, it's hard not to get excited about VIA's Pico-ITX offerings: who cares if the capabilities are limited, they're just so adorably small we want to pinch their cheeks. Now VIA is making things even more efficient with a 500MHz board that can be cooled solely with the heatsink -- no fan required. Naturally, that step down in processor speed from the PX10000 won't exactly be much help to the folks sticking Ubuntu on these things, but the PX5000EG should be a boon to the embedded market and reliability nuts. Video is after the break.
VIA's ARTIGO Pico-ITX ultra-compact barebones
If you've been wanting to break into the exciting, fast-paced, cut-throat world of ultra-compact desktop PC construction, but didn't know where to begin, VIA has got your number. The company has just launched the ARTIGO Pico-ITX builder kit, a complete VIA-based system that you can snap together in the privacy of your own home. The bundle includes a Pico-ITX motherboard with a VIA C7 1GHz CPU, support for up to 1GB of RAM, IDE and eSATA connectors, VGA output, four USB ports, audio line in / out jacks, and 10/100 ethernet. The package includes everything but a hard drive and memory, and is available right now for around $300. Check the video after the break and experience the joy of construction.[Thanks, Stewart]
VIA EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX motherboard gets reviewed
The Pico-ITX motherboard standard truly lives up to its name as the smallest regular commercial motherboard that money can buy. It's not hard to imagine why people would want a motherboard as small as VIA's PX10000: its low power requirements (the guys at Mini-ITX.com couldn't get it to draw more than 16 Watts under full load) and miniscule size (less than 4 inches long) make it perfect for really small enclosures. Unfortunately if you were hoping to make this into a high definition mini-media box to sit under the TV, you'll be disappointed. The 1GHz CPU isn't capable of running any popular video formats at an acceptable rate above 1024x768, so you'll have to stick with standard definition, if at all. VIA isn't particularly helpful when it comes to getting the motherboard to play nicely with Linux either, and haven't provided a central depository for Linux compatible drivers. There's also a lack of enclosures for the Pico-ITX motherboard size, where there's a Catch 22 situation of manufacturers unwilling to create cases for a limited market, and consumers unwilling to buy motherboards without a decent array of cases. Until these problems are sorted, the Pixo-ITX platform and this particular motherboard will fail to appeal to the general market: as if that was ever the target in the first place.
Complete PC gets shoved into a classic Gameboy
The game of PC modding leapfrog now has another formidable participant, as the PC-stuffed Gameboy sure gives the Compubeaver a real run for its money. Apparently, the zany modders at the helm grabbed Via's EPIA PX10000G motherboard, a few cutting tools, a couple of LEDs, and went at it. Quite simply, this classic Gameboy will probably never play a round of Mario ever again, but it shouldn't have any qualms firing up AIM, Folding@Home, or any other Windows XP application. The A and B buttons were carefully replaced with activity indicators, while both sides of the unit were gashed open to make room for a pair of USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and a VGA output as well. Atop the unit sits a 4GB CF card, which purportedly houses a fresh copy of the operating system, and while they did stop short of installing a high-resolution LCD to give users the ultimate mobile Windows experience, you've got to give cred where it's due. Click through for a few more snapshots.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Via's VT6047 mainboard becomes first in Pico-ITX lineage
Making good on its promise to deliver an uber-small mainboard for tight-space and media-centric applications, Via has announced its first product in the 10- x 7.2-centimeter Pico-ITX lineup. Checking in over 75-percent smaller than Mini-ITX boards of the past, this x86-based reference design seeks to embrace a "new world of ultra compact embedded PC systems and appliances." The board was purportedly designed to be powered by one of Via's own C7 or Eden CPUs, and should be available shortly to board vendors and hardware designers interested in concocting even smaller PCs for their customers. The design also relies on the firm's VX700 chipset and provides Ethernet, eight-channel HD audio, four USB 2.0 ports, a SATA connector, and a multi-format card reader. Reportedly, the VT6047 will be priced anywhere from "$300 to $500," but we guess that's just the premium you pay for a palm-sized PC.[Via LinuxDevices]
Via Epia PX motherboard spawns Pico-ITX SFF form-factor
Although it wasn't too awfully long ago that AMD unveiled what it hoped would become an accepted standard for small form factor PCs, it looks like Via is already trying to one-up DTX. The forthcoming Epia PX media-oriented motherboard will clock in at just 3.9- x 2.8-inches, which provides "half the surface area of its already-tiny 4.7- x 4.7-inch Nano-ITX" standard and looks utterly dwarfed beside the 6.7- x 6.7-inch mini-ITX. Via's boards have become commonplace in applications which can sacrifice raw horsepower for low-power requirements and cool operation, such as being housed in Mini-Box's VoomPC-2. Consequently, the the Epia PX will purportedly tout just a 1GHz C7 processor (at least initially), and there's speculation that some flavors might actually support HDTV resolutions and video-in, but most of the expansion will be done through pin headers. Via hasn't opened its mouth to divulge details surrounding price nor availability, but it's assumed that this wee motherboard will run folks between $250 and $350 whenever it finally lands.
